Dunkield Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 It's time for 'that' question again, no not 'what wellies should I buy' that is nearer Christmas So. When is the earliest you can pick sloes that are good to use for Sloe Gin? It used to be after the first frost, but as we don't have proper winters anymore when is a good time? The reason I ask, is there are laods round my way and they all look ready now, but I don't to pick them if they are going to be bitter, or just not ripe enough. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henry d Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Well I have to admit this is the earliest I`ve picked brambles ever,so I expect that all fruit will be earlier than normal. I don`t wait to the frosts for my sloes so I just go for how they look and feelbut generally I wait until late september and early october. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Hedgerow fruit will be earlier than usual here. I make vast quantities of sloe gin. Best tip i had in recent years was to freeze the sloes, this saves pricking the *******. The freezing process cracks the skin releasing the juice. Another good trick is to use the sloes after the gin soak and make sloe cider. **** a brick, the last lot I did came in at 9.8%. Burp, 'cuse me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted August 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 I have always frozen mine, as I am lazy, but some on here (H, if my memory serves me right) say that the pips can crack occasionally and make the batch very bitter, so they prefer to ***** them all with a thorn - old school stuff this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pin Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Try a couple of cloves in there too, very nice Also, on the freezing, I would say its a must, if you pick before they have naturally frozen they won't release the natural yeast and therefore won't ferment properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitebridges Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 I have always frozen mine, as I am lazy, but some on here (H, if my memory serves me right) say that the pips can crack occasionally and make the batch very bitter, so they prefer to ***** them all with a thorn - old school stuff this! Stu you won't crack the pips unless you freeze them really hard. Trouble is the Jocko's up where old h is leave stuff on the lawn as it's instance sub zero. I remember making prickers out of an old cork. We used to cram 20-30 needles in the cork and ***** the sloes by hand. I've got a place where I can get two cwt sacks when there ripe, as long as the bads (birds) dun't gart um. hic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 You need to take a thorn from the bush you picked the sloe's from and ***** them with that. I made half a gallon last year along with half a gallon of blackberry whiskey. I put a piece of cinnamon bark in with the sloe gin, gives it a lovely flavour. I am going to try rasperry vodka this year, and possibly some cherry brandy or something similar. There is an abundance of small plums round our way at the moment. need to ID them first before I try them. Cheers Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Funny you should post that Stuart, I was walking a hedgerow last night and they were hundreds of them and they looked as big as september/october ones. Is it to early to pick them? LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Okay then, so how do you make Sloe Gin or Rasperry Vodka (or the like). What's the recipe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted August 16, 2006 Report Share Posted August 16, 2006 Okay then, so how do you make Sloe Gin or Rasperry Vodka (or the like). What's the recipe? Try this one mung fill 1/3 rd of chosen fruit, 1/3 of white sugar then your chosen alcholic beverage. Shake every few days and store in a warm place i.e airing cupord. After 6 months or so strain the fruit and use it in a fruit cake or melt some chocalate then add it to that. Leave the contents of the bottle for another 6-24 months. I currently have sloe gin, blackberry whisky and strawberry vodka ready for this coming hunting/shooting season. From a previous post on PW LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Okay then, so how do you make Sloe Gin or Rasperry Vodka (or the like). What's the recipe? Try this one mung fill 1/3 rd of chosen fruit, 1/3 of white sugar then your chosen alcholic beverage. Shake every few days and store in a warm place i.e airing cupord. After 6 months or so strain the fruit and use it in a fruit cake or melt some chocalate then add it to that. Leave the contents of the bottle for another 6-24 months. I currently have sloe gin, blackberry whisky and strawberry vodka ready for this coming hunting/shooting season. From a previous post on PW LB Is this like a Rumtopf gig. My understanding was that too much of the chosen spirit will stop fermentation so too will restricting air (i.e. it will kill the yeast - the only way you get the high alco numbers is distillation). So, do you restrict air etc and are you aiming for further / secondary fermentation. I do a bit of beer making but that's it (and it's always by following the instructions). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Mungler I will bring you a bottle of sloe gin and blackberry whiskey on saturday. My recipe is similar to LB's except I do not put too much sugar in straight away. I taste it after about 3 months and see what it needs. I always use a demi john with a wine makers airlock in the top of it. Use equal quantities of fruit and spirit by weight and put in a demi john, for the first month give a good shake daily. then at least once a week after that. I strain the fruit out after 6 months and then bottle. then leave as long as you can resist temptation. With sloe gin the longer you leave it the better it gets. Cheers Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Mungler I will bring you a bottle of sloe gin and blackberry whiskey on saturday. My recipe is similar to LB's except I do not put too much sugar in straight away. I taste it after about 3 months and see what it needs. I always use a demi john with a wine makers airlock in the top of it. Use equal quantities of fruit and spirit by weight and put in a demi john, for the first month give a good shake daily. then at least once a week after that. I strain the fruit out after 6 months and then bottle. then leave as long as you can resist temptation. With sloe gin the longer you leave it the better it gets. Cheers Martin Exchellente. Never tried sloe gin... that however does not mean **** in a bottle cos Mung won't know the difference - oh no, I used to play Rugby so I know what **** tastes like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted August 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Funny you should post that Stuart, I was walking a hedgerow last night and they were hundreds of them and they looked as big as september/october ones. Is it to early to pick them? LB Same as that LB, I walk past loads of them walking the dog and they look 'reday' The trouble is if they aren't and they are not ripe I am guessing they will be as sour as hell, and depending on what method you use you will have to wait 12/24 months just to find that out. The missus picked a couple of pounds of blackberries yesterday, and the damson's are coming on too Even managed to beet the WI brigade to the blackberries for a change, so I don't want them nabbing 'my' sloes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Stuart, I doubt the WI brigade make sloe gin, surely they are more into moonshine or boot polish vodka Mungler, I wouldn't dream of Peeing in a bottle and giving it to you, it's the wrong colour and you would notice straight away, I'll add some ribena to it See you saturday Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mungler Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Stuart, I doubt the WI brigade make sloe gin, surely they are more into moonshine or boot polish vodka Mungler, I wouldn't dream of Peeing in a bottle and giving it to you, it's the wrong colour and you would notice straight away, I'll add some ribena to it See you saturday Martin Am looking forward to it - I trust you still have your Thompson Local to hand (or rather to bot). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 As I have such a small and perfectly formed rear end I will use a yellow pages, if it's all the same to you. Cheers Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted August 17, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Mung, You won't have any trouble spotting Martin. When it seems like the sun has just gone in, you know he isn't far away Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 That's it, I'm insulted. Not going to play anymore Cheers Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted August 17, 2006 Report Share Posted August 17, 2006 Funny you should post that Stuart, I was walking a hedgerow last night and they were hundreds of them and they looked as big as september/october ones. Is it to early to pick them? LB Same as that LB, I walk past loads of them walking the dog and they look 'reday' The trouble is if they aren't and they are not ripe I am guessing they will be as sour as hell, and depending on what method you use you will have to wait 12/24 months just to find that out. The missus picked a couple of pounds of blackberries yesterday, and the damson's are coming on too Even managed to beet the WI brigade to the blackberries for a change, so I don't want them nabbing 'my' sloes :yp: I thought them being sour was what it was all about Stuart Stand to be corrected though. LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 LB, You are right they are sour, If you taste one and it draws your **** up around your elbows then they're ready. Cheers Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted August 18, 2006 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 OK maybe I should have said 'overly sour' then? Surely if they aren't ripe the taste isn't going to be right? anyone? Funnily enough, my mates missus made a pie from sloes he had left in the freezer thinking they were something else (plums maybe) It all got eaten up, even by the kids, and as long as we put plenty of sugar and cream on it it was quite nice, in an odd way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lurcherboy Posted August 18, 2006 Report Share Posted August 18, 2006 I am going to start picking them anyway Stuart as they look plump. BTW that wasn't my reciepe it was one that I found on PW after a search. I will let you know next winter if they were good LB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancs Lad Posted August 19, 2006 Report Share Posted August 19, 2006 Where do I look for sloes.....anyone got a picture of what they look like................. Wouldnt want to be making holly gin....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recurve Posted August 19, 2006 Report Share Posted August 19, 2006 Where do I look for sloes.....anyone got a picture of what they look like................. Wouldnt want to be making holly gin....... They look a bit like a tiny plum, probably up to about 3/4 inch long, and almost black in colour. Find them in loads of hedgerows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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